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FORTY-SIX: Ensnaring The Fox

last update Last Updated: 2024-08-20 22:01:21

Juniper wasn't the least bit surprised when she had walked into the restaurant minutes ago and found Dylan already waiting. The man was punctual, patient, thoughtful, charming with words, and often exhibited the disposition of a true gentleman.

On the surface, anyone would deem him the perfect partner. . . the epitome of every woman's fantasy. . . yadda yadda yadda. But she knew him well. She was well-acquainted with the cunning and manipulative demon he skillfully concealed behind his polished, gentlemanly exterior.

"So how has Forêt-Bleue been treating you since you arrived?" Dylan asked sweetly.

Juniper's lips morphed into a smile as her shoulders lifted in a subtle shrug. "Hmm, so far, so good," she said casually. Then, her smile waned, her eyes narrowing as she added with comical seriousness, "But certainly not good living in the Royal Palace. Let me tell you this. . . Living in the Royal Palace is not as rosy as it appears to be. It's like a beautiful prison wit
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    It was nearly dinner time when Juniper's phone rang and Dylan's name glared on the caller ID. She received the call and singsonged in a tone dripping with honey, "Hi, Supermodel! What's up?!" "Hey, Juni baby! Guess what? I'm back in Forêt-Bleue," Dylan's voice came through from the other end of the phone. "Oh, really? When did you arrive?" She asked swiftly. "Just this morning," he responded, the tone of his voice giving out his undeniable excitement. "We have a lot of catching up to do. I'm so excited. I want to celebrate. Can we meet for a drink?" Juniper switched the phone to her other ear, nodding in agreement. "Sure. Why not?" "Great. I'll send you the location." It took quite a while, but eventually, Juniper found herself at the hotel bar where Dylan was waiting for her. The moment he saw her, he squeezed her in a suffocating embrace. "Oh my God, Juni. It's so nice to see you again." Taken aback, Juniper laughed awkwardly, patting his back softly.

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  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   EPILOGUE

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  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   127: Final Goodbye

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  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   125: The Queenpin And The Thorn In Her Flesh

    Pigheadedly, Juniper made her way to the location. According to the blueprint, the entrance to the underground meth lab was situated in an old, dilapidated barn. And with the GPS on her phone, it wasn't too difficult to find. Noticing a group of Royal Guards patrolling the area, she hid behind a shrub. When she realized the coast was clear, she ventured stealthily into the barn. The situation inside the barn was far worse than the exterior. She wouldn't be surprised if a tarantula popped out from nowhere and attacked her. It took quite a long while of thorough searching before she found a door underneath a wooden, worn-out shelf of some sort. As she pushed the shelf aside, she noticed there was a padlock on the door. Just as she swatted to inspect the lock, a guard suddenly burst through the barn door, flashing a torch. "Who's there?!" He barked. "Show yourself." Juniper had no time for this. Rising to her feet, she secretly pulled a tranq gun from her w

  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   124: Blueprint

    [ Dear Juniper and Jerome, First of all, I want to apologize for what I'm about to do. I know you want what's best for me but I know this is the only way to put an end to Antoine for good. Thank you for seeing the good in me. But I've done terrible things that are beyond your imagination and I don't think I deserve a second chance. I have no right to request this from you, but please look after my son. And if possible, don't bother telling him about his father. I never deserved to create such a sweet soul in the first place. I'm glad my sister had people like you around her. People who she could put her life on the line for and people who would do the same for her. And I'm glad I got to meet her people, even for a short while, before I join her. I'm sorry and thank you for everything.ADRIEN. ] Juniper and Jerome heaved a deep sigh after reading the handwritten letter Adrien had mailed to Camille's house. Yesterday, when the news of the Prison Bus Explos

  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   123: Depression

    It was already three weeks since Camille's death, but Damien was still lost in the darkness of depression. His arrival at the National Team Training Center was already a week overdue but he couldn't care less. In fact, that was the very least on his mind. All that was on his mind was the memories of that unfortunate day. He couldn't bring himself to do anything. LITERALLY. He lay all curled up on his bed, drenching his pillows with uncontrollable tears and mumbling incoherent words to the image of Camille his mind had conjured up. "I have to find a way to let you go, or else how can I forget about you, Camille? Hmm? I still. . . I still can't believe you're no longer here. Everyone says I should forget your death and move on with my life, but how can I do that? When I see you everywhere." He sniffled. "This morning, I saw you in our driveway. I knew. . . I knew it wasn't you. I knew it was only a fantasy. Just another illusion I've created in my head. Still, my hear

  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   122: Let's Burn Together

    Antoine shouted so loud that it was a miracle Juniper's eardrums were left intact. He dropped to the ground like a bag of hammers, clutching his bleeding knee as he writhed in agony. Now it was Juniper's turn to laugh. "Yeah, you're right," she returned, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm. "I'm not a murderer and I can't kill you. But I can very much disable you." BANG! Juniper shot him again at his other kneecap. "That's for my father," she spat indignantly, disregarding his howling of pain. BANG! She shot one of his shins. "That's for Vivienne." BANG! She shot the other one. "That's for Camille." BANG! She buried the last bullet in his injured shoulder. "And that's for everyone else you've hurt!" At that moment, her ears picked up the soft sob of sirens in the distance. The police were on their way. Juniper stooped, about ninety degrees, baring her pearly teeth at the suffering man. "You're going to rot in jail, Antoine Clermont," she whispered

  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   121: Invading The Enemy's Territory

    Juniper sat in her car, her fingers drumming a rhythmic beat on the steering wheel as she waited, all pumped up. She'd spent the past week recuperating and training for this day— The day Antoine would be brought to his knees A couple of days ago, Adrien had informed her that Antoine had headed to his hideout, and their window to capture him was narrowing. Juniper had pushed hard to join the operation, and after some convincing, Adrien had finally relented. No way was she missing this for anything. Suddenly, the rear door of her car swung open and Adrien hopped into the back seat. "Let's go!" He said promptly. "Now!" Juniper glanced at him from the rearview mirror and shook her head. No salutations, no small talk— Adrien was always straight to the point like the gloomy, ice cube he was. Moments like this reminded Juniper of her beginning moments with Camille before she eventually got to know the warm version hiding behind that ice wall. This behavior might

  • The Surrogate's Vendetta   120: Exposing The Nasty Deeds Of The Clermont Family

    Even though Juniper was well aware of who stood behind her, she remained still, trying not to provoke him. And then she felt the pressure of the gun no more, just as quickly as it had come against her head. Suddenly, Adrien appeared before her, his gun pointing at her face. "Relax," he said benignly. "I mean you no harm." Unfazed, Juniper looked him dead straight in the eyes. "Well. . . from where I stand, that's hard to believe." Adrien heaved a deep sigh and lowered his gun. "I'm not here to make trouble," he returned evenly. "I'm here to ask for your help. I need to find Antoine." The next hour, Juniper and Adrien sat opposite each other at the kitchen table, each with a plate of pasta and tomato sauce in front of them, though neither had made much progress in eating. Juniper wasn't in the best of her mood but she'd had insisted on whipping up a simple dinner for them, despite Adrien's initial reluctance. "You do know the police are already handling An

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